More and more young Irish women are joining the ranks of established crime fiction greats. What’s that all about? Award-winning Irish crime writers Louise Phillips and Niamh O’Connor will read from their contributions to the new anthology of Irish crime writing, Trouble Is Our Business (New Island Press, September 2016). The stories in the collection have a distinctive Irish flavor but show Irish crime writing in the 21st Century is now playing in international leagues.

Louise Phillips is author of four psychological crime thrillers. Her debut novel Red Ribbons was nominated for the Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year 2012, and her second novel, The Doll’s House, won the award in 2013. Last Kiss, her third novel was also shortlisted. In 2015, she was a judge on the Irish panel for the EU Literary Award. The Game Changer is her fourth novel. “This is not just an Irish Crime thriller writer – she’s among the best crime writers in the world.” – BBC Radio Ulster

Niamh O’Connor is a best-selling crime novelist, true crime writer and journalist for more than 20 years. She is former True Crime editor with the Sunday World. O’Connor has also produced several best selling books of high profile crimes as well as detective fiction with the central character of DI Jo Birmingham.

Louise and Niamh will be joined by Claire McGowan, author of the Paula Maguire crime series, which was optioned by the BBC. McGowan, who also writes women’s fiction as Eva Woods, was born in Northern Ireland and now lives in London. Claire runs the UK’s first MA in Crime Writing, at City University London.